Best Practices: Savvy Social Media

Spring is here, and the warm, sunny days may temp some workers to begin an office romance. However, before they ask a co-worker out, employees should weigh professional considerations. For starters, their company may have rules against co-workers dating. Second, even if the company does not forbid office romances, a professional could face unwanted, career-impacting fallout should the relationship fizzle. And managers need to know how to respond if their staff members start dating—especially if one individual reports to the other. Organizations that don't have guidelines for employees or managers about colleagues dating may find helpful guidance in CareerBuilder's annual survey on office romance. The research shows that workplace dating is quite common, and it's especially prevalent in IT departments. While a significant percentage of these pairings end up with a trip to the altar, many professionals insist upon absolute discretion by keeping the relationship a secret—at least, until the wedding invitations go out. Ultimately, it's best to err on the side of caution when matters of the heart intersect with work. That's why we're including CareerBuilder's best practices for office dating here. More than 3,000 employees took part in the research.